Is Ariana Grande’s Tattoo Considered Cultural Appropriation?

#KulturdKonversations: Ariana Grande celebrated her new single “7 Rings” by getting the song title tattooed on her palm in Kanji. The tattoo would’ve been a great idea, had it been spelled right. Now, social media users are calling it an act of cultural appropriation.

A few days ago, Grande
posted a photo of her brand new ink on social media, but fans were quick to
point out the spelling mistake.

Grande’s tattoo reads: 七輪 (shichirin). The kanji character 七 means “seven,” while 輪 means either “hoop,” “circle,” “ring,” or “wheel.” But when both characters are actually
put together, it reads as a whole new phrase: “small charcoal grill.”

The tattoo should
read: 七つの指輪 (nanatsu no yubiwa). However, the singer was fully aware of the fact
that she was leaving out characters and misspelling the phrase. Not only is the
proper spelling found in her “7 Rings” music video, but she also defended her
choice by stating that she “wouldn’t
have lasted one more symbol” due to the pain. “Also….. huge fan of tiny bbq
grills,” Grande added in a tweet.

H2: Nevertheless, Grande
decided the tattoo should be fixed.

But here’s the kicker –
it still isn’t spelled right! After consulting with a friend fluent in
Japanese (and after a shot of lidocaine from her doctor to endure the pain)
Grande shared what she thought was her new and improved tatt. Hoping to correct
the “small charcoal grill,” Grande added the kanji
指,
meaning “finger” below the kanji 七, meaning “seven.” Now, the new tattoo reads
– drumroll please! – “Small charcoal grill, finger.” And of course, we can’t forget the heart
symbol.

Twitter user @leoyolk,
who’s account is now private, tweeted: “Ariana grande not caring that her
tattoo means bbq grill just proves she views kanji as an aesthetic and
the people that still defend that 4’9 little bratz doll r literally digging the
grave for her.”

More similar tweets were
shared, as well:

Cultural appropriation is defined as “the act of taking or
using things from a culture that is not your own, especially
without showing that you understand or respect this culture.” Grande has always had a genuine interest in
the Japanese culture. She has even documented her progress in her Japanese
language classes she takes in Little Tokyo, L.A. But the fact of the matter is
that the singer knew she was completely butchering the words she was
putting on her body.

Let Ariana Grande’s
tattoo serve as a cautionary tale

For those thinking of
getting inked in a foreign language, we encourage you to do your research,
consult with someone fluent in said language, and be mindful of how your
choices can affect those within a culture that you’re borrowing from. And think
about thanking Ari for making her mistakes so you don’t have to.